Remember All Those Carrier Jobs Trump Bragged About Saving?

In one of the most cynical PR moves in politics, last December Donald Trump took credit for saving 1,100 jobs at a Carrier plant in Indiana. Behind the scenes, we learned that via negotiations with VP Pence, the company had received $7 million in state tax credits for not sending the jobs to Mexico and, in a phone call with Trump, the CEO of the parent company was promised a massive federal tax cut.

“Carrier stepped it up, and now they’re keeping over 1,100 people,” Trump told an audience of cheering factory workers.

He said those numbers could go even higher, noting that United Technologies had agreed to invest roughly $16 million into updating the plant.

“And by the way, that number is going to go up substantially as they expand this area, this plant,” Trump said. “The 1,100 is going to be a minimum number.”

But then the story started to fall apart. First of all, we learned that of those 1,100 jobs, 300 of them were never slated for re-location in the first place. Then, the CEO said that the $16 million would go towards automation, admitting that it would ultimately mean fewer jobs.

Let’s be clear…that is the number before the promised automation kicks in. But so far it means that, with the $7 million tax break alone, those 168 jobs cost the state of Indiana almost $42,000 each.

I am reminded of all the lies OMB Director Mick Mulvaney has been telling recently about how this administration has prioritized the interest of taxpayers over the “freeloaders” in our society. Looks like the biggest freeloader of all is Carrier.

Newsletter

Get a weekly dose of our best stories in your inbox.

Sign Up-register for our free Weekly Wrap-Up newsletter.

Special Report

Special Report: 5% of the population accounts for 50% of all health care spending. They are the key to health care reform.

Successes of Philanthropy

Successes of Philanthropy: The investments and innovations that are making a real-world impact, as told by the foundations and philanthropists themselves. A sponsored project by the Washington Monthly.